Cathay Pacific to cut back on flights to Japan

msnbc.com
March 31, 2011

HONG KONG — Cathay Pacific Airways said it would cut its Japan flights for two weeks from April 1 due to weakening passenger demand following Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Cathay, Hong Kong's dominant carrier, expects several months of weakness with a recovery towards the summer, but there are still uncertainties that could affect air transport demand to and from Japan, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

"It is too early to say, however, how long this situation will last and how quickly business will return to normal," Tom Owen, general manager, revenue management, said in the statement.

Cathay will cut three daily flights to Tokyo and two daily flights from Tokyo from the current seven daily services to and from the city.

It will also cut one daily flight from Osaka to Hong Kong and three flights a week to and from Nagoya.

Flights to Fukuoka and Sapporo were not affected, it added.